Loopy

Have you ever found yourself recognizng a smell at a basic level of consciousness without being able to specifically recognize it? Something that triggers an indistict recollection from half-memory?

It's common for us to associate smell with memory--nearly everyone associates a certain smell with a holiday, a season, or the places they grew up. But sometimes we encounter smells that are't tied in that way; that is, we recognize the smell as a smell, but we can't place it within a context or a story. (At least, that's the way my brain works--baking bread reminds me of working in the kitchen at summer camp; pumpkin pie reminds me of thanksgiving dinner; sand reminds me of riding arenas and 4-H, etc.) Sometimes I'll suddenly associate a distinct smell with some event or place only half-remembered; sort of a free-association-psychoanalysis by scent.

I was in the Superstore this morning, and realized that whatever cleaning product they use in the washroom (a smell I couldn't quite place before) smells an awful lot like Fruit Loops.

This fact frightens me.

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